Online reviews have garnered a lot of attention of late, and a number of factors may be contributing to this trend. For one thing, consumers believe them, considering them to be trustworthy. The number of online reviews is increasing, and as businesses engage with reviewers online, they can expect the number of reviews to subsequently increase.

Here are just a few facts that point out the importance of online reviews:

• A single star increase in rating can increase sales from 5-9%
• When judging a business, the star rating is the number one factor.
• 88% of people read reviews to determine the quality of a local business.
• When a brand responds to a customer on social media, 65% are more brand loyal and 25% are less likely to go somewhere else or post negative things.
• Search engines favor business listings for which review responses are frequent.

Recent research also shows that hospitality, and especially restaurants, lead the way in online reviews engagement.

Our company President, Christopher Sebes, recently shared his own experience and thoughts on this topic in an article published by the Forbes Techology Council. Check out that article and discover some of the latest trends in online reviews, as well as the importance of responding.